Left to Kill (Adele Sharp #4) - Blake Pierce Page 0,35

he was tired of having to wait for the translation. Last she’d seen him, he’d been chatting up one of the sergeants, a woman ten years his senior, but who’d seemed to appreciate the attention and understood a modicum of French.

As Adele adjusted her sleeves and stared across the interrogation table, she tried not to let her annoyance at John’s behavior show. What did she care who he talked to?

“Heinrich Gardner,” said Adele, “is that your name?”

She glanced at the folder in front of her, making a big deal of flipping the manila cover, examining the contents and closing it again. She held it open long enough that he could see his own photo, upside down.

“Best as I can remember,” he replied.

“I see here you had issues with trespassing before. Mind telling me why that is?”

Heinrich moved his arms again, causing the handcuffs to scrape across the metal table once more in a jarring fashion. Adele didn’t allow her expression to betray her irritation at the noise.

“I move around a lot,” said the suspect. His wild, uncombed hair seemed even more cartoonish beneath the bright lights of the interrogation room. His grizzled, stubbled features were streaked with dirt, and Adele could still detect the ripe, sour odor of unwashed clothes.

“I heard from other campers at the grounds that you harassed some of the women, is that true?”

Heinrich’s hands twisted against each other at this point. She heard a quiet tapping sound, and glanced down to notice his foot bumping rapidly against the metal table leg.

He fidgeted and said, “There’s no crime against talking to people, is there? If I looked like that agent you came with, it wouldn’t be called harassing, it would be called flirting. Not my fault I don’t suit people’s taste.” He flashed a smile, revealing a couple of missing teeth.

“There is no crime in talking to anyone,” said Adele. “Kidnapping, though…” she said, trailing off. She let the word hang, scrutinizing his expression.

“Wait, what?” Mr. Gardner stared at her. “Kidnapping? What are you going on about?” His cheeks flushed, and a slight red tinge crept over his face. “Was it Mr. Rosenbaum? That bastard has had it out for me forever! Has he said I’ve been kidnapping? He’s a liar. In fact, I bet you he’s the one who’s been kidnapping. Yes, actually, in fact, I’ve seen him kidnap people!”

Adele blinked, and her eyes narrowed in suspicion. “You’ve seen Mr. Rosenbaum kidnap someone?”

Heinrich shrugged like a child caught in a lie. “I mean, if he’s saying I am, then I’m saying he is.”

Adele sighed, massaging the bridge of her nose. Clearly, there was no love lost between the campground owner and Stinkeye.

His lazy eye was drifting again, off to the right, but his other fixed on her, firm, unyielding.

“And the complaints I’ve had of you talking with women? Harassing them at midnight by their cars?”

Heinrich didn’t blink, and he didn’t look away. “It’s lonely up in the mountains. Can you blame me for looking for some companionship? I never forced anyone to do anything, and there’s no crime against talking, is there?”

Adele shook her head. “I guess not. And Mr. Rosenbaum, you say you’ve seen him involved in kidnappings?”

“I’m saying, whatever he’s accused me of, he probably did.”

“Thank you, very helpful. One other thing, does the name Amanda Johnson mean anything to you?”

Again, she studied his expression, her eyes burrowing into the side of his head. But if the name registered in any way, Heinrich Gardner covered perfectly. He curled his lips in a sort of shrug, and shook his head once. “Never heard of her. Sounds hot. If she’s looking for a friend, give her my number.” He flashed another yellowish grin.

Adele breathed through her nose above tight lips.

“And how long have you been living in that bus?”

Heinrich snorted. “Long as I can. Few months.”

Adele raised an eyebrow. “Only a few months?” She thought of when Amanda had gone missing. “And before that? Where were you then?”

Heinrich smirked. “Four months ago? Probably spending some time warming up the cots behind bars.”

“You were in jail?”

He shrugged. “Only a few weeks at a time.”

“Do you know the dates?”

Heinrich shook his head. “Wasn’t in much of a state to remember anything.”

Adele frowned, trying not to betray her thoughts. If Heinrich was telling the truth, and he was in and out of jail around the time of Amanda’s kidnapping, then he couldn’t be the guy.

“Anything else you can tell me?” she asked, but it felt like fishing without bait.

Heinrich